PERFECT SETUP - ATLANTIC SALMON

A 14-foot for a 9-weight is the perfect set-up for my favorite fish: Atlantic salmon. From the boreal forests of eastern Canada to the volcanic watercourses of Iceland, the glacial fjords of Norway and the road-less taiga of the Kola Peninsula, a 14-foot for a 9-weight is the most versatile arrow in my quiver: neither too long nor too short; not too heavy and not too light. I fish intermediate lines in the early season, floating lines in high summer, and sinking tips when water temperatures dip in the autumn. A 14-foot for a 9-weight easily casts oversized Templedog-style flies, hitched five-inch Sunrays and any size wet fly in my box. It is the de facto rod for Atlantic salmon.

ROD // 9140 X

The Sage X 9140-4 is a significant improvement on my all-time favorite rod, the Sage ONE 9140-4. The X 9140-4 features the lightest swing weight of any 14-foot rod that I’ve cast. The rod has a regressive feel (bends deeply into the butt), which gives me all the time I need to “turn the corner” when making a single spey. The lightning-fast recovery keeps my loops tight for maximum flight time. The Sage X 9140-4 is a ninja-like scalpel that has largely usurped the role of the 15-foot 10-weight for most applications in Atlantic salmon fishing.

REEL // DOMAIN 10

A full-frame reel is an absolute requirement in my fishing to prevent thin shooting lines from migrating between the frame of the reel and the spool. The Sage DOMAIN delivers this requirement in a package that combines an old-school aesthetic fortified by a sealed carbon-fiber drag and a single-revolution drag knob (for those, like me, who don’t like to count when playing a salmon).

LINE // RIO Scandi VersiTip #9 (585gr) & RIO Gripshooter 44lb

The RIO Scandi VersiTip #9 is four lines in one: a full-floating Scandinavian-style shooting head, an Intermediate sinking tip (F/S1), a Type 3 sinking tip (F/S3) and a Type 6 sinking tip (F/S6). The RIO Scandi VersiTip is the most versatile line for Atlantic salmon that I have fished. I can fish dry flies, hitched flies, wet flies, and deeply sunk flies with one line. The RIO 44-pound Gripshooter combines the ease of handling of a coated shooting line with the ultimate distance of monofilament shooting lines. Its exceptional breaking strength provides additional security when fishing strong tippets.

The Sage X 9140-4, the Sage Domain 10 and the RIO Scandi VersiTip #9 form my perfect set-up for Atlantic salmon. I could happily fish this set-up from the beginning to the end of the season anywhere salmon are found.